Hand-brake.



J. F. OCONNOR.

HAND BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-8.1918.

1,30OA68. Patented Ap1'.15,1919.'

I/NVENTOR. dab/7 E Odo/mar 3' I. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORT0 WILLIAM H. MINER, OF CHAZY,

NEW YORK. I

HAND-BRAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

Application fi1ed .|anuary 8, 1918. Serial No. 210,885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. OCoNNoR, a. citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Hand-Brakes, of

. which the following is a full,-clear, concise,

and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hand brakes.

In making up trains of freight cars in switch yards and hump-backs,-itis the custom to shunt the individual freight cars onto the varioutracks at comparatively high speed with a brakeman thereon whose duty itis to so apply the brakes that the cars will be stopped or spottedaccurately at Various points. Heretofore, with the or dinary types ofhand-controlled brakes in use, the brakeman has had to apply hisbrakewith such power as he felt necessary and when it has been foundthat the brakes were too strongly applied and would stop the car toosoon, the only recourse has been to release the brake entirely and againapply the brakes with less force. This takes a great deal of unnecessaryeffort on the. part of the brakemen and requires long experience andskill to be able to spot the cars properly.

The object of my invention is to provide a hand brake for railway carswhich i so designed that the brakeman may apply any braking force hedesires in the first instance and should events prove that the brakesare too strongly applied to permit the car to reach its designatedposition, the brakeman can then effect a graduated release of thebrakes, at all times under his control, so as to obtain the exactbraking effect to spot the cars properly.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is anelevational view of a hand brake embodying my improve ments. Fig. 2 is asectional view, taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1 and lookingin the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 is a sectional view, takensubstantially on theline 3-3 of Fig. 4 and looking in the direction ofthe arrows. Fig. 4 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the lineH of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows. p

the friction pawl 25 will be wedging engagement with the clutch flangeis provided at its inner end with an integral.

wall 12 and near its outer end with what may be termed an intermediatewall 13. The inner wall 12 is provided with a bear- 'ing 14 for theinner end of a chain winding drum 15 and the Wall 13 is providedwith acorresponding bearing 16 for the outer end of the drum 15. The casing 10is cut away at the bottom, as indicated at 17, to permit entrance of thechain 18. The upper link 19 of the chain i caught over a hook 20 formedintegrally with the drum, said link 19 being held against accidentalremoval by a bolt 21.

To the outer end of the casing 10 is applled a cover-plate 22 suitablyprovided with a peripheral flange 123 to fit the rim of the casing 10,as clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 4. The plate 22 and wall 13 togetherform a chamber within which is located the operating and controllingmeans. 1

To rotate the drum 15 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 1 and2, that is, to wind or tighten the brake-chain, the drum 15 is providedwith a flange 23 having an annular V-shaped peripheral groove 24. Withthe groove 24 is adapted to cooperate a wedge-shaped friction pawl 25detachably but permanently mounted on the upper end of a gravitycontrolled, normally depending operating lever 26. Said lever 26 ispivotally supported, as indicated at 27, to the lower end of a link 28,said link 28 being oscillatably mounted within a suitable bearing 29formed at the outer end of the drum 15. As will be understood, the plate22 and link 28 are held in operative position by said bolt 21.

By oscillating the lever 26 to the left, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3, itis ap arent that orced into of the drum 15 and the latter rotated stepby step in the manner of a pawl and ratchet mechanism. In normalposition of the parts, the friction pawl 25 is in inoperative position,as indicated in Fig.1.

To automaticallyl hold the drum 25 against reverse rotation, t at is, toprevent unwinding of the chain after it is tightened, a

v friction clutch is provided, the same comprising a friction block 30loosely mounted in the upper portion of the casing, said block 30 havinga Wedge-shaped edge 31, adapted to fit within and coact with theV-shaped clutch 24. Said block 30 is provided with a pair of wedgesurfaces 32-32 and the interior of'the casing is provided with areinforcement 33-having corresponding oppositely disposed wedge surfaces34-34. Between the sets of wedge surfaces 32 and 34 are interposed antifriction rolls 35 so that, as the drum tends to rotate in acounter-clockwise direction, due to the tension on the chain, thefriction block 30 will be tightly wedged into engagement with thefriction flange of the drum and automatically hold the latter againstunwinding movement.

To release the friction clutch and hence the drum 15, I have provided apivoted release lever 36 pivotally mounted on the wall 13 of the casing,as indicated at 37 Said lever 36 has a loose single gear toothconnection 38 with the friction block 30.

With the arrangement above described, it is apparent that the chain Willbe automati cally locked in its tightened c0nd1t1on and when theoperator desires to effect a complete release of the chain,he can do soby merely pushing the release lever 36 in a counter-clockwise directionto its full extent.-

When, however, the operator desires to effect only, a partial release ofthe chain, he can do so by pushing the release lever 36 only partiallyand thereby vary the friction between the block 30 and the frictionflange of the drum. As will be understood, the antifriction rolls 35greatly facilitate the control of the release action since said rollersminimize the frictional eflect 'between the block- 30 and thecooperating fixed portion of the casing. When the operator has per-'mitted the chain to Y unwind the desired amount, he can eitherimmediately release the lever 36 which will cause the friction clutch tooperate automatically, or he can throw the friction clutch positivelyinto engagement, as will be understood.

The device herein shown and describedis exceedingly simple andeffectively accomplishes the objects of the invention heretofore stated.At the same time, the parts are compactly arranged and are relativelyinexpensive to manufacture and the operation is such that only one handof the operator is required at any time to effect either the windingaction or release action with consequent increase in the safety ofopera- 7 tion.

in a direction to tighten a brake, chain, of

means, including a friction clutch member having a wedge-shaped frictionface rotatable with said elements and a cooperable friction memberhaving a wedge-shaped friction face for holding said element when thechain is tightened, and means for effec'ting a variable release of saidholding means to thereby permit slackening of the chain under control. I

2. In a brake forrailway cars and the like, the combination with a'rotatablewelement, and means for rotating said element in a directionto tighten a brake chain, of combined means for automatically holdingsaid element against reverse rotation and to permit graduated reverserotation under control, including a friction block, a stationary memberand anti-friction elements between said block and member.

3. In a brake for railway cars and the 1 like, the combination with acasing adapted to be secured to the wall of a car, of a chain-windingelement rotatably mounted within said casing, means for rotating saidelement step-by-step in one direction, and means for preventingaccidental reverse rotation of said drum and adapted to control saidreverse rotation, said lastnamed means including a stationary member onthe interior of the casing having wedge faces thereon, a movablefriction block having opposed wedge faces, anti-friction rollersinterposed between said sets of wedge faces, and a pivoted lever foractuating said block.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 29th day of Dec., 1917.

JOHN F. ocoNNoR.-

